As tourism-driven capex continues to flow into Australia’s cities, two Sydney institutions call time ahead of ambitious developments.
Jacksons on George has stood at the gateway to The Rocks since 1986, at times considered a rite of passage of youth coming into town.
Five years’ ago operations at Jacksons were taken over by Gallagher Hotels, under freeholder Lendlease, developer of Barangaroo.
On Sunday the multi-level pub closed, ending Gallaghers’ tenure, ahead of the big developer’s plans to demolish the building and construct a three-level gastropub and rooftop bar.
The ceramic tiles on the birdcage-like façade and design by architect Stewart Hollenstein (image below) is said to take inspiration from the traditional Australian pub tiles. The new pub will be part of a broader development that includes laneways lined with retail, a community space, commercial premises and two 55-storey buildings, facing George Street and parallel Pitt Street.
The Central Sydney Planning Committee is currently assessing the plans, and demolition of Jacksons is expected to begin within the month, with the broader project due for completion in 2021.
George Street is itself undergoing massive disruption in the wake of the light rail installation, stopping access to vehicles and largely pedestrians too.
Gallagher says he’s not sorry to be out, and that all staff were offered positions with the Group, which now counts a dozen venues – less one.
“The last two years have been a nightmare there because of the lockout and the light rail,” says Patrick Gallagher. “We were down a good 60-70 per cent on the first few years. No doubt it will be different in a couple of years’ time when it’s all finished.”
Meanwhile, the new owners of notorious Irish pub Scruffy Murphy’s have recently submitted an initial proposal to replace the pub building with a 40-storey mixed hotel and residential tower.
KGH Co P/L owns both Scruffy Murphy’s at 43-49 Goulburn Street, and the adjoining 698-704 George Street, the heritage-listed Kiss Building, aka Haymarket House.
The proposal would see much of the two and the in-between 51-57 Goulburn St demolished, with adaptive reuse of the Kiss Building.
The 1,225sqm site would become 6,808sqm of residential space, and 10,213sqm of mixed use, including 18 storeys of accommodation hotel.
The proposed cost of the development is $127.2 million.
